Apple releases Watch Ultra, an entirely new kind of wearable

(Apple)

Apple has unveiled its ‘Watch Ultra’, an entirely new kind of wearable for the company.

The company says it aimed to make the watch the “best sport watch out there”, and that it had worked with a range of extreme athletes – including explorers and ultramarathon runners – to help build the Watch. It includes features aimed at scuba divers, long-distance triathletes and more, it said.

The Watch is much bigger and more rugged than the existing Apple Watch, it said. It also includes a range of new features on the inside, aimed at those who are doing extreme activities.

Those include an extra “action” button on the side that can be used for a range of settings, new speakers so that the Watch can be used even in intense conditions, a bigger and brighter display and a much longer-lasting battery battery.

The Watch will last for 36 hours on a single charge, around twice as long as the normal Apple Watch. And it will be able to get 60 hours using a new battery optimisation setting, Apple said.

The Ultra also includes new GPS technology that should make it more accurate when used in challenging conditions, Apple said.

Apple has also introduced a new watch face, aimed at adding a host of information that is useful for those wearing Apple Watch in extreme environments.

The watch costs $799 in all of its models, which includes specific bands aimed at runners and explorers. It will be available on 23 September.

The new Ultra also has the new features that will arrive with the Apple Watch Series 8, which was released at the same time. That includes new crash detection as well as temperature sensors.